Tuesday, November 25, 2008

We have a rule at our house; no calls before 9am and no calls after 9pm. The rule was brought into effect during my children's teenage years and continues today.

So, when my phone rang this morning before eight I was concerned. It was my daughter calling from work. She never calls during work hours much less from a work phone, so I answered waiting for the first shoe to drop.

She started the conversation with, "Could you remove the curse?" "Which curse is that?" I asked.

"The one where you said I hope you have a child just like you," she said. "No way," I answered, "they're not even teenagers yet. What's happened?"

I was feeling a bit better, as it was stress and not panic I heard in her voice. Panic was the day I heard the police sirens in the background, but I'll leave that story for another day.

My grandson, the writer, was chewing on his pen in class when the end broke off in his mouth; he inhaled and it lodged in his throat. He couldn't breathe. The teacher, thinking he was choking on food, performed the Heimlich. It didn't work. Fortunately she had alerted the office and Ernie was called.

Ernie? My grandsons go to school in a very small town in Washington. The school's total enrollment is twenty-six students. Ernie is the paramedic, and the fire station is in the same block as the school. Ernie arrived, the piece was dislodged. Ernie gave the school his don't put things in your mouth lecture.

Disaster averted. Lesson learned.

No, I won't remove the curse my dear daughter, he isn't even close.

Note: I have not used my grandson's name. The last time I did he told me it was embarrassing. Now this would really be embarrassing.

I guess it's not funny but I can't help but laugh since he's OK. As I was reading I was expecting ink all over his mouth as one of my boys did. My mother cursed me and only me. I never felt that was fair so I cursed all three of mine.

Greetings fM,As I travel along this path of parenting, I have learned that "kids will be kids" no matter what generation we're in. Two weeks ago, a boy in my son's class swallowed one of those poppy pins that we wear for Remembrance Day. Apparently the pin is still making its way through his system. Glad to hear your grandson is okay.